Duck Hunters

[Marine24]

I got an invite to do some duck hunting in Nov. It has been awhile since I last did this, which was more jump hunting ducks in the canals in North Carolina. Camo clothing isn't problem but none are waterproof.

My 12 gauge autoloaders are all 2 3/4" and wood stocked. I'll probably pick up a synthetic shotgun but do I need the reach of 3" shells? I like to try the Weatherby Element or pick up another SA-08.

Friend that invited me has the decoys and dogs plus will do the calling.

Any advice from duck hunters on the forum?

[ferrum]

If you are decoying you should be fine. I have dropped plenty of ducks with 2 3/4" shells. I prefer #2 or #4 shot.

[Shooter45]

2 3/4 have worked for decades before with no problems. However, the 3" and 3 1/2" do offer faster velocity and more pellets to hit a bird. I always use 3" for waterfowl because of the increased capability. If we were still allowed to use lead pellets it wouldn't be a problem; but the with the requirement of using steel shot, it is way less effective. I wouldn't say to go buy a new shotgun but it does give you a great reason to go buy a Benelli Nova or something more depending on your price point.

[MarkCO]

You have a choice...1. Breast them out, boil and use as dog feed. 2. Hope your buddy will take them.

Ducks in Louisiana and parts of Arkansas and Missouri taste okay. CO ducks taste like pond scum...only slightly better than Snow Geese.

[Marine24]

That is good to know. I'll eat duck if it is put in front of me but won't go out of my way to buy it.

Ones in NC weren't bad considering the swamp water they were in but first time I had one in the wild.


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[ACE2GOOD]

2 3/4 should be fine over decoys. The faster the shot the better and I would recommend #2's or 3's. We have always had the best results with dropping ducks and not wounding ducks when using Kent ammo. We prefer Kent as our first option but will use Federal's as our alternate. Good luck and enjoy. Haven't had a good duck hunt over decoys in a long time.

[OtterbatHellcat]

CO ducks taste like pond scum...only slightly better than Snow Geese.

I did not know that, thank you.

[Marine24]

So when are 3" shells called for?


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[sniper7]

I hunt a lot of ducks here in CO. 2 3/4 is ok, but if you have the means to get a new gun that handles 3" or 3 1/2" I'd do that. You definitely want 3.5" for geese if you get invited to go.
Ducks are fast, move like crazy and can be difficult to hit even from blinds. while I've killed plenty with the cheap Winchester steel shot from Wally World, I love Remington hypersonic. I've taken some birds pretty far out that just weren't going to commit and kept buzzing by or flaring off.
The biggest reason I recommend the increased shell size is if you get wounded birds on the water trying to swim away, those extra pellets make a big difference. Just don't shoot while the dog is out retrieving!!!

As far as eating, teal can be delicious, just got a bunch for the early teal season and enjoyed some teal breast and home garden jalapeños wrapped in bacon. Delicious!

Now the bigger ducks take a lot more prep work. Luckily for me I get plenty of big game meat, so I save all my duck and geese breasts for the year then take them all in to Hudson meats and get them processed into snack sticks and various custom products which eliminates any tastes you might be worried about and makes them quite tasty!


Also, I'm sure you've read the regs, but just make sure you have your HIP numbers, as well as Colorado and Federal waterfowl stamps. You might get into some trouble if you get stopped without those!

[whitewalrus]

I've shot plenty of ducks with 2 3/4" shells years ago. Since I now mostly goose hunt I went to a 3" shell, I haven't seen the need for a 3.5" shell yet. Each increase in size you can pack more shot and/or powder. So you get faster loads or ones with larger payload.

If you are buying a new shotgun, I would say to pickup the 3" shells. Gives you more margin of error for not much more price.

[ACE2GOOD]

For those that are not fans of the meat you should try fajitas. That is how we eat our duck. Just slice up the breast and fry up in a pan with Peppers, Onions, and whatever else you like on your fajitas. Makes it really tasty actually! Works well for goose as well but I prefer the taste of duck over goose for some reason. Our goose is usually turned into Jerky, we also tried BBQ goose one time which was pretty good.